Lawn-mower.



J. D. TILLMAN.

LAWN MOWER. APPLICATIQN FILED MAR. 20. I914.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

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7!- E. NORRIS PHERS 00.. PHO'IC-LITHO, WASHINGIDN, DY C.

JOHN DEO TILLMAN, F RICHMOND, INDIANA,

LAWN-MOWER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed March 20, 1914. Serial No. 825,980.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Dno TILLMAN,

' a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Richmond, inthe county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a full,clear, and accurate specification and exposition, being such as willenable others to make and use the same with exactitude.

The object of my invention, broadly speaking, is to provide certain newand useful improvements in lawn mowers which will greatly improve theutility and the operation of machines of this character, providing alawn mower which will be strong and durable in construction, positive inaction, easily operated and controlled, and which can be manufacturedand sold at a comparatively low price.

More specifically stated, my object is to produce a lawn mower whereinthe tension of the blade of the cutter-bar is made resilient withrelation to the blades of the reel, and means for automatically varyingthe tension depending upon the extent of the power applied to propelthe'machine; also providing means whereby the construction is adapted toautomatically allow hard objects to pass between the cutting edges ofthe blades, in order to minimize the danger which might accrue to themachine.

Other objects and particular advantages of my invention will be broughtout in the A course of the following specifications.

An example of the means for carrying out my invention in a practicalmanner is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aplan view of a lawn mower in which my invention is contained. Fig. 2 isa sectional view, as taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, and taken in thedirection indicated by the arrows on the said line. Fig. 3 is a detailcross section of the essential features of my invention as taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1, and as taken in the direction indicated by thearrows on said line. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of one end ofthe cutter-bar and the parts which are integral therewith. And Fig. 5 isan inside view of a portion of one of the bull-wheels and a disk,showing the same broken awayto expose the pinion therein.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

In order that the construction and the op- I eration of my invention maybe better understood and appreciated I will now take up a detaileddescription thereof in which I. will set forth the invention as brieflyand as comprehensively as I may.

Referring now to the drawings in detail: Numerals 1 and 2 designate thetwo bullwheels of the machine, thesame beingspaced apart and connectedby the shaft 3 on which; they are mounted. The inner peripheries 7 ofthe bull-wheels are provided with gears 1 and 2, respectively, for thephrposehereinafter stated. I

The frame of the machine comprises the.

two disks 4 and 4, one of which is clearly shown 1n Fig. 2, which arelocated inside their respective bull-wheels, with which they areconcentric, and each has an inwardly extending hub, '5 and 6respectively, central thereof, which hubs are secured around the shaft 3by means of the setfscrews 7 and 8.

Extending inward, in an axial direction, from near the periphery of thedisks 4 and 4 are the boxings 9 and 10, respectively, in which islocated the cones which are denoted by the numerals 11 and 12, and

through which is disposed the reel-shaft 14..

Secured on each end of the shaft 14 is a pinion, as for instance thepinion 13 shown. Numeral 14- denotes the reel respective blocks 24 'and'25 are the comits upper end in order that it may be turned.

by hand.

Extending inward from the disks 4 and 4, at points above the shaft 14,are the respective pivots 28 and 29. Pivotedly mounted on each of thesaid pivots is a dog, each comprising a hub, 30 and 31'respectively, a

tongue 32-and 33 respectively, and a plate 34 and 35 respectively. IExtending-inward from the'two upper corners of the plate 34 are thepivots 36 and 36, and likewise extending inward from the two uppercorners of the plate 35 are the pivots 37 and 37. Pivoted on the pivot36 is the handle iron 38, and pivoted on the pivot 37 is the handle iron39. The said handle irons extend back and then inward toward each otherwith their rear portions secured to the handle 4c, in the usual manner.The upward movements of the said handle irons are limited by the pivots36 and 37. The rear portions of the tongues 32 and 33 are adapted torest on the heads of the respective setscrews 26 and 27, each having anaperture therethrough which registers with the aperture through therespective set screws 26 and 27.

Extending between the plates 34 and 35 are the rod 41, on which arerotatably mounted the end blocks 42 and 43, each having an aperturetherethrough, as at a in Fig. 4, through which the rod 41 passes.Integrally connecting the ends 42 and 43 is the cutter-bar 44 which hassecured to its front edge the blade 45, with which the blades 18, 19, 20and 21 are adapted to come into shearing contact.

Extending out from the outer faces of the ends 42 and 43 are the flanges4 and 47, respectively, through each of which is an aperture, as theaperture 1) in Fig. 4, which are in alinement with the apertures throughthe respective set-screws 26 and 27 Numerals 48 and 49 designate theguidebolts, each having a hand on its lower end, and having therespective thumb-nuts 50 and 51 threaded on their upper portions.- 'ihebolt 43 is disposed up through the flange 46, the set-screw 26, and thetongue 32 with its head contacting with the under side of the flange 46.The bolt 49 is disposed up through the flange 47, the set-screw 27, andthe tongue 33, with its head in contact With the under face of theflange 47.

Disposed around the bolt 48, between the nut 50 and the tongue 32 is thecoil spring 52; and disposed around the bolt 49, between the nut 51 andthe tongue 33, is the coil spring 53. The coil springs 52 and 53 areadapted to resiliently retain the blade 45 up to the limit of itsmovement for which it may be set. The upward limit of movement of theblade 45 may be varied by means of the set-screws 26 and 27.

Adjustably mounted to the rear portion of the frame plates 22 and 23,and extending therebetween, is the shaft 55 on which is mounted theroller 54, by which the rear of the machine is supported, in order tocarry the blade 45 the proper distance above the ground.

Marius 0percmd2'.-lt will now be apparent that if the adjustment be setas in Figs. 2 and 3 that as the reel revolvesthe blades thereof willbarely engage the blade of the cutter-bar. Now if the set-screws 26 and27 be turned to the right their points will force the blade of thecutter-bar downward, thereby preventing it from moving farther upwardbut allowing it to be sprung downward away from the blades of the reeland against the resiliency of the springs. On the other hand if theset-screws be turned to the left then the cutter bar blade will rise, byreason of the springs, or allow it to contact more firmly with theblades of the reel, thereby permitting the cutter-bar blade to be adjusted at any height desired, still permitting it to be sprung downwardagainst the resiliency of the springs. The tension, or the degree oftension, by which the cutter-bar blade is held upward may be varied byturning the thumb-nuts 50 and 51 up or down. Now when the desiredadjustment of the cutter-bar blade is attained, by means of theset-screws 26 and 27, and the desired tension of the cutter-bar blade isattained by the movements of the thumb nuts 50 and 51, then the machinewill be ready for operation, in the usual manner, which will developother features which I will mention. It will now be noticed that inpropelling the machine by pushing upon the handle 40, that a cushioningeffect will be attained, its extent being proportioned to the tension ofthe springs 52 and 53, thereby relieving the operator of sudden jars,particularly when the machine encounters a solid object. Also should themachine encounter tough grass, which will necessitate more power appliedto the handle 40, then the tension of the springs 52 and 53 will beautomatically increased, thereby pressing the blade 45 more firmlyagainst the blades of the reel and thereby facilitating the cutting oftough grass, and thus the extra tension will be automatically dispensedwith when it is not required.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letter Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In a lawn mower comprising a frame carried by bull-wheels andincluding a pair of disks boxings carried by the outer portions of thedisks,a revoluble shaft extending through said boxings, a cutting reelcomprising blades carried by said shaft, a pair of frame plates, blocksextending back from the boxings and united with said frame plates,pivots 28 and 29 extending inward from the disks, a dog mounted on eachof said pivots, a tongue integral with each dog, a hollow set-screwthreaded in each of said blocks and with which said tongues are adaptedto engage, a flange extending from each of the end members, a guide boltextending through each flange and through its respective set-screw,thumb nuts threaded on said bolts, a coil spring disposed around eachbolt and pressing against its nut and tongue to retain the blade of thecutter-bar upward to its limit which limit depends upon the position ofsaid nuts, all substantially as shown and described and for the purposesset forth.

2. A lawn mower including a frame supported by bull wheels and includingthe frame plates located near the inner faces of the bull wheels, a rodextending between said plates, a cutter-bar pivoted on said rod, a bladecarried by the cutter-bar, a pair of disks, boxings carried by the outerportions of the disks, a shaft revoluble in said boxings and geared tobe revolved by the turning of the bull Wheels, blades carried by saidshaft and forming a reel, pivots extending inward from the disks andlocated above their respective boxings, a dog mounted on each of saidpivots, a tongue integral with each dog, a block extending back fromeach boxing, a hollow set-screw threaded in each of said blocks, aflange extending from each of the frame plates, a guide bolt extendingthrough each flange and through its respective set screw and tongue,nuts threaded on said bolts, springs located around each bolt andpressing against its nut and tongue to retain the blade of the cutterbar to its upward limit as determined by the position of said nuts, allsubstantially as shown and described.

3. In a lawn mower comprising a frame carried by bull-wheels andincluding a pair of disks, boxings integral with the disks,

frame-plates integral with the respective disks and boxings, areel-shaft extending through said boxings, blades carried by thereel-shaft, means ,for revolving the reel i shaft, blocks integral withsaid boxings and frame-plates, a dog pivoted to each of the disks, atongue extending back from each dog and located above its respectiveblock, a hollow set-screw threaded in each of saidblocks withvwhich thetongues are adapted through each flange and through its respectivesetscrew and tongue, thumb nuts .on the upper portions of said bolts, acoil spring disposed around each bolt and pressmg against its thumb nutand tongue to retain the edge of the cutter-bar upward to its limitdepending upon the position of the set-screws, a handle pivoted to theforward ends of the dogs and adapted to change the tension of saidsprings'in order to vary the contact of the blade of the cutter-bar withrelation to the blades of the reel depending upon the pressure exertedupon the handle in propelling the mower, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto ,v

subscribed my name to this specification in the presence of twosubscribmg witnesses.

I 7 JOHN DEO TILLMAN. Witnesses: V

R0131. W. RANDLE, R. E. RANDLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. V

no V, V, 1 1 1 1 V .1 ,7 ,7 1.1.1.1 s

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,134,650, grantedApril 6,

1915, upon the application of John Deo Tillman, of Richmond, Indiana,for an improvement in Lawn-Mowers, errors appear in the printedspecification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 33, for theWord hand read iaead; same page, line 113, after the Word disks insert acomma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With thesecorrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of May, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

